Modeling Winter Scenery by George Van Duyne

Winter Scenery

How I did it....

Disclaimers● There's more than one technique

● Scale matters

● Larger scales will be easier, small scales harder

– Snow "flakes" don't always scale,

– Track in larger scales less sensitive to snow effects

● Other resources out there

● Dave Frary's scenery book

● Woodland Scenics video● Http://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/winter-scene.html

● Internet searches will yield more results

Planning...● Think about what kind of snow scene you are doing

● An early (or late) dusting of snow

● Patches of snow left in spring

● Snow up to the railhead

● Really deep – like rotary snowplow country

● Open fields, wooded area , flat terrain or hilly, water in scene?

● Built up area vs. Rural

● Snow on buildings

● Roads and parking

● Look at pictures for ideas

Planning..● Around buildings:

● For more than a light snow cover, recess building foundations, except for paved areas that would be plowed.

● Create roads as normal unless will be covered with deep snow.

● Snowbanks along roads, parking areas?

● Track:

● Snow will fill in ditches and reduce depth of embankments.

● Snow between rails – must watch clearances

Getting started ● Scenery base can be whatever you normally

use – plaster, foam, etc.

● Rock castings are installed and painted as normal

● Fields and hillsides areas made as normal but no need to for normal paint/ground cover unless modeling light snowfall.

● For deeper snow the scene surface will be higher than normal - plan accordingly

● A light snowfall will mean some ground cover is needed.

Supplies and Tools

Supplies ● "Sifting Snow"

● Woodland Scenics Snow

● Powdered Marble (from art supply store)

– Do Not Use Baking Powder!!!

● I use 50/50 mix of marble and WS snow

● Tea strainer for sifting

● White Acrylic Caulk

● Used to smooth surfaces, make snowbanks

● Lightweight spackle or drywall compound

● Use around and between rails

● Can be easily scraped or sanded down to the proper level below railhead

Supplies ● Gloss White Interior Housepaint

● Paint snow surfaces prior to sifting on snow

● Drybrush on rocks

● Keep this away from the rails

● White artist acrylic paint

● Inexpensive squeeze bottles

● Use on and near tracks – brush or airbrush

● Hairspray

● Used to adhere sifted snow to rocks, vegetation, roofs

● White glue

● Use diluted to adhere snow to painted surface

Snow Goop

● From Dave Frary's scenery book

● Equal parts

– Acrylic Gloss Medium

– Acrylic Modeling Gel

– Titanium While Acrylic tube paint

● Mixes to the consistency of mayonaise

● Put in rock crevices, tree branches, telephone poles, etc.

● Woodland Scenics Flex-paste appears to work the same way

Making the Scenery Base

● Work the scenery base (plaster, Sculptamold, etc.) up to end of ties and near railhead level.

● Can make mounds of snow along track to simulate snowdrifts thrown by plows

● Watch clearances – run long rolling stock after scenery base in place to check

● Can use caulk to smooth scenery base, fill in holes or gaps

● Leave room for turnout throw bars. These would typically be shoveled clear or have heaters to clear snow.

Basic Snow Cover Technique

● Same technique as typical ground foam

● Paint scenery base with white interior paint

● Sift snow mix over wet paint using tea strainer.

– Put it on heavy so paint doesn't show through

● Sweep up excess snow when dry, then vacuum.

● To add another coat or add more snow mix:

– Spread diluted white glue

– Sift snow mix● Before you ask – I don't know ratio of white glue/water – I dribble

glue on surface then spray with water, then spread it with a paintbrush.

Snow Near Track From Union Pacific RR web site via Trains web site

Possible snow profile

Need to leave railheads above snow by .02-.03 inch - depending on scale and rail height

Need to leave room for paint and sifted snow cover

T T

Scenery Base

Spackle

Snow On and Near theTracks● Recommend painting rails white first.

● Use spackle/drywall compound to fill in next to rails and between ties. Make flangeways with a palette knife or similar tool.

● Scrape/sand down to proper level

● Paint area with white acrylic paint.

● Carefully spread dilute white glue next to and between rails, then sift snow powder mix, vacuum up excess.

● Clean rails. Paint and any snow mix will scrape off

● Turnouts:

– Do not put spackle between points. Fill with ballast or sand around throwbar and point area.

– Brush or spray white artist acrylic to paint rails and ballast.

Roads and Parking Lots● Paved and plowed

● Make snowbanks from plaster, caulk, whatever, along side of roads and parking lots

● Paint white, sift on snow mix

● Spray some hairspray or paint some white glue on pavement, sift on snow to make snow patches

● Gloss medium can simulate frozen puddles

● Unplowed areas

● Spray with hairspray, sift on snow, make wheeltracks with vehicle

● Combine two techniques for plowed roads that were then covered by light snowfall.

Rocks and Cliffs

● Start with a normally painted rock

● Lightly wisk a nearly dry brush of white paint on rock face

● Use snow goop or white paint on ledges and crevices

● Spray with hairspray and sift on some snow mix

●

Vegetation● Evergreen trees

● Wisk white paint on tips of branches

● Apply dabs of snow goop or white paint

● Deciduous trees

● Start with a tree armature that hasn't had leaves applied

● Use paint or snow goop in crotch of tree or horizontal trunk sections

● Spray with hair spray and sift on snow mix

● Shrubs

● Start with dark polyfiber

– I started with white and sprayed it dark gray

● Spray with hairspray, sift on snow mix

Tree example

Buildings● Build up snow mounds along walkways, roads where

snow would have been piled

● Use snow goop or paint and gloss medium to simulate ice drips, snow on window ledges, etc.

● Snow on the roof

● Apply to each roof area separately

● For steep roofs may need to support building at an angle

● Spray hairspray on roof section, sift on snow mix

● Apply 3 or 4 coats

● You could spread snow goop or thin plaster on the roof for deep snow if desired

● Recess buildings into scenery base